Tag: White Sands Monument

Travel 3

As expected, they have extended our confinement here in Paris (this was written on April 29) but we don’t have an actual date of when it might end. If we stay at or below 3000 new cases a day, we might be able to get out more normally starting the end of May. Testing will be available for anyone with symptoms. It’s a strange and confusing time. Again, here are some photos, some going back ten years, of voyages we have taken. Those were the days.

A pretty pub entrance in London.
The gorgeous Maldives. We went there for my birthday a couple of years ago.
White Sands, New Mexico. Such a unique place.
I loved Porto, Portugal. This was the first building we saw as we left the metro that we took from the airport to our hotel.
Beautiful Rome. This area was absolutely packed with tourists.

White Sands

In southern New Mexico is the White Sands Monument. I remember going there as a child as I was raised in New Mexico and it is a special place. It’s known by some for the site of the first atom bomb detonation in its northern section. The sand is made of gypsum which normally dissolves in water but due to several factors remains. It doesn’t retain heat like those sun soaked beaches that you have to race across but is cool to the feel even on the hottest summer day. We were there on a cool day and our feet got cold actually as we walked around with bare feet

We started seeing the yucca plants as we got near White Sands. These were in front of the visator center.

That is the white sands in the background. Notice all of the footprints and the trails left by people sliding down the hills on metal saucers. I had hoped to get some photos of pristine sand dunes but it would have required more of a hike than we were up to.

The light wasn’t the best but we got some great skies.

I found a bit of sand that hadn’t been walked on.

A closeup.

Looks like snow.